The present invention relates to a baby and toddler carrier and in particular to a novel and improved baby and toddler carrier to be used by a parent or other caretakers for carrying an infant, a baby or child, in a secure and comfortable way, both for the adult and for the baby, in various carrying positions.
As used herein the specification and in the claims section that follows, the term “baby” and the like refer to a human being of a substantially small weight suitable for carrying in a carrier according to the present invention, including an infant, a baby or child.
From the dawn of humanity, parents and other adults carry babies. The first natural form of carrying is in one's arms, with the newborn baby cradled in his mother or father's arms, then in various carriers, made of different fabrics and methods of use, in order to let the mother continue working while carrying the baby. Thus one can see a mother working in the field, while carrying her baby on her back, wrapped in a piece of fabric carried on their chest or on their shoulders.
In western/modern society, seeing as in many cases the adult carrying the baby needs to perform various tasks for which he needs his hands and/or front portion of the body to be free, as well as for comfort purposes, over the years many various types of carriers were developed to enable carrying babies for a long period of time while leaving the carrying adult's hands and/or front portion of the body free.
The modern carriers available on the market today enable adults to carry babies in front, on their backs, or on the side with the babies seated on the adults' waists.
An example of a common way of carrying a baby 300 in front of an adult 400 is shown in FIG. 1a, and on the back of an adult 400 is shown in FIG. 1b. 
The carrying is by means of a carrier 100 which is a soft carrier belonging to the group of carriers known as wrap carriers, usually composed from one long strip of fabric or several long strips of fabric wrapping the baby and adult together.
Carrying a baby in a wrap carrier has several advantages which are the result of the baby resting snugly against the carrying adult. This way, the baby can feel the rhythm of the adult's beating heart and his center of gravity is close to the adult, thus avoiding a moment (moment is the product of a force and the distance from its action to a point) that makes carrying more difficult. However, wrap carriers also have disadvantages, including the difficulty of carrying a heavy baby, the sometimes uncontrolled pressure that the carrier applies to the baby, and the complicated preparations for carrying. Use on the back is especially difficult since it's virtually impossible to be worn independently, with no help.
Western society has created carriers which are more structured and upholstered, designed mainly for front use. In most of these carriers the carrier is worn by the adult prior to putting the baby inside.
Advantages of this group of carriers, known as front upholstered carriers, include them being relatively easy to wear. They free the adult's hands and are good for carrying a newborn baby close to the parent while maintaining eye contact in the first few months. In addition the baby can be positioned with his face outward.
Front upholstered carriers are schematically illustrated in FIG. 2a. The illustration shows two adults, each carrying a front upholstered carrier 200 with a baby 300 carried in front, one of whom is face to face with the baby 300 while the other baby 300 is facing outward and his back is to adult 400 who is carrying him.
This group of carriers has the prominent disadvantage of being mostly designed for front use, thus having the difficulty of carrying a heavy baby in front, which is heavy on the adults' backs. This group of carriers keeps the hands of the adult free but the front portion of the adult's body is still obstructed and thus does not allow many of the daily chores to be done comfortably.
An additional group of modern carriers are backpack carriers with plastic or aluminum frame. An example of a backpack carrier is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2b. Backpack carrier 201 includes a baby seat 200a and a waist belt 200b including straps and accessories enabling carrying backpack carrier 201 with baby 300 inside, on the shoulders and waist of adult 400. In this carrier, the baby 300 is at a considerable distance from the back of the carrying adult 400.
A prominent advantage of the backpack carrier is a result of the use of a waist belt, achieving controlled distribution of the pressures applied by the carrier on the adult who is carrying. Another advantage which makes the carrier easy to use is the fact that the baby is loaded in the carrier prior to it being lifted. These developments of carriers introduce additional accessories attached such as headrest, bag, shade etc.
However, the backpack carrier also has its disadvantages, such as the distance between the baby and the adult, preventing the baby from feeling the rhythm of the adult's heartbeat and causing a moment that makes carrying difficult and putting pressure on the adult's back and neck. An additional disadvantage is the age limitation. The carrier suits only babies who can sit well from the age of 6-8 months, and cannot be worn in front. This kind of carrier is mostly large and rigid and therefore is mainly for outdoor use.
Despite the many developments in the field of carriers, not all possibilities have been exhausted, and there is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have a further developed carrier. A carrier that facilitates caretakers' preparation of the baby for carrying, carrying the baby, and removing him from the carrier in a more efficient, convenient, and safe way for the baby and adult than is currently available. It is highly advantageous to have a carrier that enables daily use by keeping the front of the body unobstructed, a carrier which is lightweight with no construction. Furthermore, it would be highly advantageous to use one single carrier which is “one-size” for babies and adults, suitable for carrying children from infancy through toddlerhood, and adjustable for different sizes of adults.